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United States Patent | 6,257,062 |
Rich | July 10, 2001 |
An angular accelerometer having a substrate, a plurality of fixed electrodes supported on the substrate and each including fixed capacitive plates, and a rotational inertia mass including a plurality of movable capacitive plates arranged to provide a capacitive coupling with the fixed capacitive plates. The rotational inertia mass is rotationally movable relative to the fixed electrodes in response to angular acceleration. The angular accelerometer further includes support members for supporting the rotational inertia mass and biasing the rotational inertia mass relative to the fixed electrodes during rotational movement of the rotational inertia mass. An input is coupled to the plurality of fixed capacitive plates for receiving an input signal, and an output is coupled to the other of the plurality of fixed and movable capacitive plates for providing an output signal which varies as a function of the capacitive coupling between the fixed and movable capacitive plates and is indicative of angular acceleration.
Inventors: | Rich; David Boyd (Kokomo, IN) |
Assignee: | Delphi Technologies, Inc. (Troy, MI) |
Appl. No.: | 410712 |
Filed: | October 1, 1999 |
Current U.S. Class: | 73/514.32; 73/514.38 |
Intern'l Class: | G01P 015/125 |
Field of Search: | 73/514.01,514.16,514.32,514.38,514.17 |
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